Impact of Global IT Outage: Hospitals Halt Nonessential Surgeries

By Nikki Reese | July 20, 2024
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Resilience & Mindset Mastery
Amplifying JCPS Youth: Empowerment Summit Highlights

Love Eden, a senior at DuPonte Manual, stepped onto the stage at the 8th Annual West Louisville Youth Empowerment Summit, hosted by the Louisville Central Community Center. She passionately addressed the audience, envisioning a future where magnet and choice schools receive equal resources and opportunities, lamenting the exclusivity magnified by JCPS's recent transportation cuts. Eden recounted her personal journey, highlighting the challenges her friend faced in gaining admission to Manual, a struggle narrowly averted by her own family's decision to change schools and work paths.

She criticized JCPS's use of AI for causing transportation issues in the past year, emphasizing the system's lack of consideration for students' needs. Eden expressed concern over inadequate pay for bus drivers, potentially exacerbating the shortage of drivers. The student panel, echoing her sentiments, condemned both JCPS's decision-making and acknowledged their own capacity to effect change. Keshawn Johnson underscored the increasing responsibilities placed on teachers in addressing students' mental health, urging for more open communication between students and educators.

Health
Impact of Global IT Outage: Hospitals Halt Nonessential Surgeries

Hospital systems nationwide experienced significant IT disruptions, prompting widespread concern. A spokesperson from Kaiser Permanente described the situation as unprecedented. Across the United States, hospitals and healthcare providers informed patients on Friday morning about a global technology outage that had impacted certain IT systems. Consequently, surgeries and procedures were canceled, although emergency services remained operational.

Several major hospital networks were affected, including Kaiser Permanente, which manages numerous facilities across the western United States. The health provider activated its national command center early in response to the outage's extensive impact. Steve Shivinsky, a Kaiser Permanente spokesperson, emphasized the outage's unprecedented nature, noting its widespread effect on all their hospitals.

Banner Health, headquartered in Phoenix and serving six states, closed clinics and outpatient facilities temporarily, while ensuring hospitals remained open for critical care. Meanwhile, Mass General Brigham, operating 15 hospitals in New England, canceled nonurgent procedures and visits due to the IT challenges.

The root of the issues often lay in hospitals losing access to patient-record systems. At Providence Health, for instance, the outage affected Epic Systems, a crucial patient record-management tool. B.J. Moore, Providence Health's chief information officer, described the situation as catastrophic, leading to the cancellation of many nonemergency procedures the following day. Despite some records remaining accessible via mobile devices, essential applications, including those vital for surgeries, remained offline..

Entertainment

Clint Eastwood Pays Tribute to Christina Sandera, His Beloved Partner

Clint Eastwood has confirmed the passing of Christina Sandera, his partner of 10 years, and expressed his deep appreciation for her. Describing her as a caring and wonderful woman, Eastwood shared his sorrow over her loss in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on July 17. The couple first met when Sandera worked at Eastwood's Mission Ranch Hotel and Restaurant in California, beginning their relationship in 2014 following Eastwood's divorce from Dina Eastwood after 17 years of marriage. Despite keeping their personal lives private, they appeared together at various events, including the Oscars and red carpet premieres of Eastwood's films over the years.